If Not Us - Who?

The world has simply changed….Our nation has changed…Most of the changes were small, came about over time, and went unnoticed. The ones that were noticed seemed unimportant but finally all these seeming small add on taxes, small unimportant regulations, small increases in government departments, along with social programs for this or that group, began to sum together…..The adage of, "The Devil lies in the details" has never come about in such a clear, forceful, or dramatic way as we now find our selves, our government at the national, state and city/town levels...

It was all there for the seeing but enough of us didn't see it.

The day of reckoning is here…The Rubicon has been crossed….The first shock will be the smaller cities, then larger ones, then counties, then states, and finally the nation itself if enough of the voters don't rise up.

Central Falls, Rhode Island, (population 18,928) is asking police and firefighter retirees to give up 50% of their pension.

They are doing so to try to avoid bankruptcy.

On Tuesday, a state-appointed receiver, Judge Robert Flanders, met with constituents to discuss options that will prevent the city from filing for bankruptcy, but the choices seemed limited: either volunteer for the pension cut, or risk losing it all.

Each of the 141 city retirees will receive a voting ballot and a packet by the end of the week, showing how much of their pensions will be slashed if they agree to volunteer for the benefits cut.

With August set as the deadline for further decisions on the financial future of the city, Flanders hopes to find out residents' decisions by the end of the month.

Though the measures seem drastic, residents are being told that it's a far better choice than "being at the mercy of the bankruptcy court."

A bankruptcy Judge could, or might have to void all pensions for the 141 retired as well as the ones still working. Holders of their municipal bonds would suffer a loss unless the state agreed to pay them off. There are many other consequences for this little city should it bankrupt.

This is the first city I know of that has taken this first step…..I have read that many of the smaller town around Detroit are near insolvency and I am sure there are hundreds of other towns across the country in the same boat. The job losses in the towns are growing and most town and cities are not hiring in an effort to cut cost.

How many of us in Mississippi know the financial conditions of our smaller towns are in? Or our larger towns for that matter?

All pension fund payments as well as bond debt is always left to future generations, our children, our grandchildren, for the most to pay and that’s just the reality of these long term debts….

“You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.”— Ayn Rand

You have to feel bad for the folks in Central Falls …. But it is just the first snowball to start down the hill….

Now what?…Our elected employees have made really bad decisions in their effort to craft laws….Who must, once again, pick up the tab, and clean up their mess….? The more important question might be, who are the only ones with the power to clean up the mess? If its not us I don't know who... If we don't do it now, I don't know when…but for sure, we are the only ones with the power to do the job.

We don't make mouse traps and we don't sew clothing nor are there any businesses left that might be though of as small mundane business….All these lower skill jobs, lower manufacturing businesses, are gone and these were the core businesses that created jobs for our poorer educated and often challenged citizens. This work is still being done but not here…and the reasons that jobs are done elsewhere are simply the cost of doing business in America is too high and struggling with unions and state/federal regulations are to difficult, along with the highest business tax in the world.(If there is a upside in any of this, it’s the fact we can still buy mouse traps and sewn shirts along with a whole bunch of other things we need at affordable prices.)

Who remembers when the idea of 'made in America' was the icon and important to us as well as the rest of the world?

These, and I can only assume, well meaning legislators have simply destroyed the lower end manufacturing jobs in America and as a consequence effectively put fifty million people out of work. AND they will not stop. (California alone came out with two hundred pages of yet newer regulations this year for people and businesses to adhere to….while wondering all the while why businesses are leaving the state.)

The new model of leadership now lies with the people. This leadership rises as ideas are spread, understood, and groups of citizens come together to solve the problems with our government and the people in it. No sleight of hand just common sense…Good change come about through common sense...The Tea Party is the common sense of the people...

Government, the men and women in government do not and cannot solve any of these national problems. For the most part they are the problem. It is we spreading the common sense of the Tea Party demanding that we be governed only by a government of and by the people. Elected people are simply elected officials, short term hires, but we are the nation. Through common sense we are the ones that will decide what is right for this nation.

The mark of America and its history is change….This, once again, is our moment in time. There was a dedicated group before us that faced similar problems. Because of their leadership we know what is needed, what the goals are, as well as what to do to get there.

We elected a good bunch of congressmen to office during the 2010 election and can do it again in 2012. We don't need to send many more new leaders to Washington to have control of both houses. When done the country will look, feel, and be a different place. One that is more familiar, stable, and safe.

We must look closely at the voting record of each of the older members of congress and must reevaluate each. If they tell us they are conservative and vote for liberal agendas such as raising taxes, more social programs, involving government in our businesses, and more regulations in our personal and business lives, they are not conservative. We will look at what they have done and not trust for one moment what they say. Distrust is where we start….(The pudding must be proofed.)

2012 will feel like a war. A war of ideas and values. Both national political parties will be fighting for their very existence. Office holders will be fighting for their political lives. We, poor citizens, will be fighting for the country. Another difference is that through our connected groups WE CAN WIN. Connected through our values, beliefs, and ideals we can change the country and the direction it is moving in. Our problems are solvable. We can restore the principle that government is for and by the people. Know that the opposition is an entrenched ruling class that will never give up power willingly.

How we fight this fight will teach the ones coming after us what to do, what principles are worth fighting for, how to win, and most importantly the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNED.

Financial report: Since we published the last newsletter things have changed. At that time the liability of each tax payer was 1,026,375.00...Since last week the individual tax payer debt has risen to 1,026,969…That is an increase of 5940.00 per tax payer. (Everyone who thinks time is on our side raise your hand.)

Does anyone notice or know why there are never any America flags behind our President when he goes on TV with a message to the American citizens? That has been the tradition of all previous American presidents. I may be overly sensitive about this...however, I see this behavior of our President as his only consistent message to all of us...

Memo to : President of the United States
CC: Speaker of the House Mr. Boehner
CC: Speaker of the Senate Mr. Reid

Dear Mr. President, yall need to know there is no absolution for what's been done to the country and the people are coming…..

Ron

docnick37@gmail.com

http://theoxfordteaparty.blogspot.com/